


Dumbass

by TheBlackMagister



Series: Tattoos [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Anyways, Couch Cuddles, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Making Out, No Smut, Sleepy Cuddles, but i mean can you just imagine, i just need rick with tattoos fuck you, idk theres not much plot here, negan is ok with it because LOOK AT HIM, oh yeah rick has tattoos thats a thing, rick is a cuddly son of a bitch, sweet as pie deputy rick grimes actually is tatted as fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 07:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11099928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlackMagister/pseuds/TheBlackMagister
Summary: Negan realizes Rick's being a fucking idiot and invites him over, except he has no earthly idea how to cope with how cute Rick is.





	Dumbass

**Author's Note:**

> oops

“I didn’t know you had tattoos.”

“Eh?” Rick straightens from where he’d been tending the garden, sweat-slicked hair clinging to his forehead. Although – Negan figures, absolutely nothing could keep the curls at the back of his neck down. “Oh. Yeah,” He continues, sounding nonchalant. “After I got shot I thought tattoos would be prettier than, you know, big scars.”

Negan’s only been living next to the Grimes family for a handful of months, and while he’s been dancing around dating with Rick, he’s never been granted the opportunity to see the other man shirtless. He shoves his hands in his pockets as he approaches, admiring the graceful curve of Rick’s throat as the younger man downs water like he’s fucking dying.

The tattoos are.. unconventional, for a guy – but they’re nice, too. Gorgeous swirls of color and designs that are almost hypnotizing, especially with the movement of his muscles. Negan tries hard not to stare, considering he’d discovered pretty early that Rick’s easily embarrassed; but damn, it’s hard not to. And in any case, Rick just smiles shyly at him instead of pulling away.

“What’re you out here for, anyway? You’re not really the, ‘just come say hello whenever’ type of guy..” Rick inclines his head a little, still with that little grin that could stop wars, probably.

“Well,” Negan answers wryly, smirking back at him. “It’s about thirty-five degrees out here, and I couldn’t help but to notice that you’re outside, _gardening_ , with no damn shirt on. You’ll fuckin’ die out here like that. Oh, and it’s about to rain,” He adds, eyebrows raising. “Which means you’ll get even sicker. Why the hell you out here, anyways?”

“Carl’s at school and Judith’s at Pre-K. The house is empty and I,” Rick hesitates, scratching the back of his neck. “I’d rather.. not.”

Negan softens. One of the first things they’d bonded over was their shared widower status, so he can understand the sentiment. After a pause he shrugs off his coat and wraps it around Rick’s shoulders with a little flourish to try to cheer the younger man up.

“Come over to my place,” He says, trying – and failing – to keep the hopeful note out of his voice. “I can, you know, start a fire and we can.. I dunno. Watch a movie or something.”

Rick chuckles softly, glancing up at Negan through under his eyelashes. Negan thinks he might have melted a little, not that he would admit it.

“Sure,” Rick agrees, voice soft. “That sounds wonderful.”

Negan could skip. He doesn’t – actually, he stays probably too close to Rick, although given the way the slighter man leans into him it’s not unappreciated – but holy hell he’s happy. Rick Grimes is coming over. And for once he’s not thinking about sex – although he does think about fucking Rick a lot – but hell, if he can get Rick on the couch, leaning against him like this, curled up in a blanket, the both of them falling asleep.. it sounds like a perfect December day.

Still, they can’t just hop to it. Rick’s shivering, and no amount of protest can stop Negan from pulling pajamas out of the drier for him to change into. Thank God for convenient laundry time. Rick does look happier in warm clothes, though, and the younger man mutters a jokingly grudging thanks, followed by a gentle punch to Negan’s bicep.

“What do you wanna watch?” Negan prompts once he’s finally gotten Rick curled up on the couch with a huge-ass comforter and a cup of hot cocoa. It had taken two and a half thousand years to get him to agree, but he looks absolutely adorable, so it was definitely worth it.

“Uhh,” Rick frowns, looking thoughtful. “How about, um, Indiana Jones? The first one?”

Negan gives a joking wrinkle of his nose, but he definitely has it so he can’t really complain. He’s pulling it out when Rick says, “Oh, wait! Do you have Beauty and the Beast?”

“What are you trying to say, Rick?” Negan smirks over his shoulder at the younger man, reaching for the Disney movie without a second thought. “Should I be offended?”

“No.” Rick flushes, giving him a pouty look, setting his empty glass on the floor. “I just really love Disney.”

“Alright, alright. Stop giving me that face, damn it.” Negan laughs as he pops the DVD in and joins Rick on the couch after flipping off all the lights. He’s pretty quickly charged with an armful of warm deputy as Rick gets comfortable against him, but it’s far from uncomfortable. Rick glances up with an embarrassed little grin.

“You know, I know all the songs to this movie.”

“I want to say I’m surprised, but I’m really not.” Negan rolls his eyes, running his fingers through Rick’s curls. “That just sounds like a you thing. And no, that’s not a bad thing,” He adds, when Rick’s mouth opens to protest. “It’s cute. Shut up.”

Rick flushes, arms crossing, but if he settles a little more happily into Negan’s chest neither of them mention it. After a while, though, when Negan looks down, Rick’s nodded off, nestled down into the blanket. He looks so damn cute, both arms wrapped around Negan’s middle, mostly covered by the comforter save for his face, half of which is pressed into Negan’s chest.

Fuck.

Negan hates to wake him, but he’d mentioned his kids being at school and Negan has no idea when they need to be picked up. So he gives Rick a little shake, watching – almost awed – at the wonderful perfect human being slowly waking up, obviously disgruntled about having to do so. The younger man yawns and then peeks sleepily up at Negan, blue eyes half-lidded with sleep.

“Wh’t?”

"I, uh," Negan rubs the back of his neck uncertainly. "Just wanted to make sure you're awake to go get your kids. Whenever that is."

“I’ve got a..” Rick yawns again, shifting a little. “..um.. later,” He mumbles, nuzzling against Negan’s jaw contentedly. Negan lets out a long breath, glancing down at the slighter male. Fucking fuck fuckity fuck he really can't help himself.

“Can I kiss you?” He doesn’t really _mean_ to say it, he’d just been thinking about it, but, well, it’s out there now. Rick looks up, a little surprised, but there’s a tinge of pink spreading over his pretty cheeks and he smiles, nodding shyly. Negan doesn’t fuck around, either, at once leaning to kiss him sweet and soft.

Rick’s lips are soft, and he kisses the way he acts – a little shy, a little submissive. He melts into Negan’s arms, both of his own looping up around Negan’s neck loosely. After a moment Negan pulls back, although they’re still overly close, warm bodies pressed together.

“Shit,” Negan murmurs, reaching up to run his fingers through Rick’s hair. “You’re the first person in a long-ass time I’ve wanted to be more than just a one night stand. What the fuck are you doing to me, Rick?”

“I think that’s a compliment,” Rick teases, voice quiet. Negan chuckles softly.

“That’s about as good as it gets with me. Sorry.”

“I don’t care.” There’s a softness in Rick’s gaze that could probably melt glaciers, in the same damn way it’s melting Negan’s heart. “That’s what makes you.. y’know, _you_. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

“God, this is sappy. You’re gonna make me cry,” Negan mumbles, before bringing Rick back into the kiss. Rick sighs contentedly, and he doesn’t seem near as nervous as he had when Negan had come to him earlier – not to mention how shy he’d been when they’d first met. Negan had figured then there was no possible way to coax Rick back out of his shell, not after the shit he’d been through.

Rick gives him a little tug, drawing him out of his thoughts. He gets the hint and rolls over, pressing down against Rick’s body, taking control of the kiss. Rick melts, and Negan can feel the younger man starting to get all hot and bothered when he deepens it, licking into Rick’s mouth.

He’s just starting to get into it, too, drawing the kisses down Rick’s neck, when Rick’s phone goes off. More specifically the loud-ass alarm he’d installed at time to go pick up the kids. It’s enough to startle both of them, Negan maybe a little moreso, and Rick grins sheepishly.

“Sorry. I’ve gotta..”

“I know.” Negan runs a hand down the front of Rick’s shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. “It’s fine. It’s not the end of this, though, Rick, promise you that.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Rick smiles a little, leaning in for one last quick kiss before he gets up to collect his jeans.


End file.
